The textured bob is a hairstyle that has gained popularity over the last year and is hotter than ever. Short hair is appealing because the messier and more textured the style, the better it looks, making it easy to maintain style wise. To keep the short length and shape, you may have to visit your hairstylist more often for trims, but the time you will save on blowdrying and styling will be worth the more frequent salon visits.

I love long, voluminous, beachy hair, which I normally have and rarely stray from it. However, I had a cut scheduled with Celebrity hairstylist and friend, Gregory Russell, so I asked him for a consult for something new. I was ready for a change and had been interested in going short, but didn’t know if I could pull it off. He studied my face shape and hair texture and decided we should go for it and I could in fact pull off a shorter do. So he cut 6-7 inches off and I didn’t even flinch! I trust him completely with my hair and knew he could give me an amazing new hairstyle.

When the cut was complete, I felt fresh, hip, and in style. I loved it! Gregory has an immpeccable talent for delivering a pristine cut, but styling your hair in a way that is so effortlessly chic. He sprayed Oscar Blandi Volumizing Spray into my roots before rough drying my hair, and then took a round brush and continued to blowdry the hair on the crown of my head for added volume. He then took a flat iron and created ‘S’ shapes with the tool throughout my hair to give it a casual bend. He then had me toss my head back and sprayed my hair with Oribe Dry Texturing Spray to give it that toussled texture, and finished it with L’Oreal Elnett hairpray.

Gregory’s clients include Chloe Moretz, Christina Hendricks, Alexa Chung, and Karlie Koss, among others. I feel extremely lucky to have had him tranform my tresses into this fun new style. I have included a few of my favorite looks of textured bobs below.

You can book a haircut with Gregory Russell at The Andy Lecompte Salon 310-273-4100

Alkaline water is all the rage here in Los Angeles, with countless brands sold at the market and more and more specialty stores popping up on every corner. I have to admit, I thought it was a little hippie dippy to buy into it all, but I tried it and am hooked.

Alkaline water contains a higher pH level than tap water and claims to have many benefits. The benefits include, neutralizing acid in the bloodstream, boosting metabolism, detoxification, immune boosting, and helps your body absorb nutrients more effectively. None of these have been scientifically proven, but are believed to be true. When I drink alkaline water regularly I feel more hydrated, alert, and my waistline seems to shrink, even if just slightly. I buy mine at Divine H2O in West Hollywood.

Divine H2O offers natural alkaline water that has a stable pH level 9-10 and is ionic/calcium infused for maximum hydration. This special water helps to bring an acidic body back to a more harmonized, balanced body.

I was lucky enough to experience the perfectly curated retrospective exhibit of BCBG Max Azria’s past collections. It features red carpet looks donned by Hollywood’s elite and a look back at the collections to view the evolution of the brands from year to year.

Upon entering the exhibit, I was greeted with lovely dresses and a timeline depicting the progression of the brand. Then there was a table with mannequins that showed the design progress of one look beginning with the inspiration of a men’s shirt to the transformation into a dress. There was a wall full of iPads showcasing the runway shows, with special recognition of the photographers such as Mario Testino and Patrick Demarchelier in conjunction with the models they photographed. The next area displayed favorite dresses over the years and guided me into the red carpet portion, which highlighted the dresses worn by celebrities for award shows. One notable dress was the green flowy dress worn by Angelina Jolie.

It was on to the Herve Leger display which featured the signature bandage dresses. Some were embellished with fringe and jewels, while others were encased by leather harness belts. The BCBGeneration room was fun, bright, and youthful and even had a special selfie nook. The exhibit ended in a room with silver cutout flowers lining the ceiling and the walls plastered with photos from guests of events that have used the hashtag #bcbgmoments in their social media posts. The wall also enclosed several televisions that play the runway shows on a loop and a quote etched on the wall stating, “What is important in a DRESS is the WOMAN who is wearing it.” The exit of the exhibit lead to the glass doors of the Runway Archive Pop-Up shop where visitors can get deeply discounted items from past collections.

Their design philosophy is “We design for a dynamic woman with a discriminating sense of style. It begins with a vision inspired by the evolving landscape of art and culture. That vision translates into colors, prints, silhouettes and finishes. With steadfast attention to fabrication, construction and fit, each collection comes together as a complete narative that inspires the wearer.” The designs are meant to inspire “Living the Bon Chic Life.”

I have included pictures below that walk you through the exhibit and also feature my favorite parts of the retrosective. I have always loved these brands and it was such a treat to have a personal tour and see these dresses up close and out of the fashion vault. Many thanks to the BCBG team! You are all dolls.

I love the South! All the gentlemen, lovely ladies and the Southern accents draw me in. The food cooked from scratch with premium ingredients and full fat butter are mouth watering. I especially love the dessert, Southern Banana Pudding.

Since I don’t live in the south, I need to get my fix somewhere and I often pop by Magnolia Bakery to satisfy my craving. They have perfected Banana Pudding and offer free samples for everyone who walks through the door. The bakery is an outpost of their flagship store in New York and I couldn’t be more pleased that there is a location in Los Angeles. The pudding has layers of vanilla wafers, fresh bananas, and vanilla pudding. I suspect there is some whipped cream folded into it to keep it light in texture.

This pudding is divine and is packaged in three sizes, mini, small, and large. The bakery also offers catering sizes for parties. I promise this sweet fluff will tanalize your tastebuds and have you craving it time and time again. So get on over to your closest location and snap up a carton or two, you will go bananas over it.

Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding is $3.50 for the mini, $5 for the small, and $6.50 for the large. Single bowl is $35 (serves 10) the double bowl is $60 (serves 20)

Working in the beauty industry, I look forward to seeing how the best beauty pros in the business help Tinseltown’s elite transform into the most glamorous versions of themselves for an award show. I was lucky enough to snag an interview with Celebrity Makeup Artist, Allan Avendano, who created Sarah Hyland’s Emmy look.

– I applied DiorSkin Star Foundation and concealer for a lightweight, flawless and luminous finish!

– To accentuate her cheekbones and to add dimension to her face, I used DiorNude Tan Powder in Moka and shaded the sides of her face in the shape of a “3” from her temples to under her cheekbones and into her jawline.

– To make her cheeks pop, I gave her a good dose of MAC Powder Blush in Style on the apples of her cheeks and into her temple.

– For highlights, I took Dior Glow Maximizer, warmed it up with my fingers and strategically placed in on her orbital bone (right at the peak of her cheekbones, on the bridge of her nose and on her cupid’s bow. Then i lightly dusted MAC Mineralize Powder in Soft and Gentle to make it pop.

– To tone down shine in the t-zone, I used DiorSkin Loose Powder.

EYES:

– I started with applying MAC Pro-Longwear Paint Pot in Layin’ Low as a base for Sarah’s eyeshadows. It helps with keeping shadows on, makes them more opaque and prevents it from creasing.

– Then I applied MAC Naked Pigment in the center of the eyes and into the inner corners.

– For the outer corners, I dipped my crease brush into 3 MAC Eyeshadow shades to create a custom crease color: Swiss Chocolate, Smut and Bronze. I created a V shape on the outer corners and diffused it in the crease. Then I applied the Bronze eyeshadow from the corner towards the center and blended it into the Naked pigment.

– Her brows were filled in impeccably with DiorShow Brow Styler in Universal Brown.

– Right under her brow bone I used MAC Mineralized Powder in Soft and Gentle to create a very subtle sheen.

– For her upper lashes, we applied a coat of DiorShow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum and then followed it up with 4 coats of Dior Addict IT-Lash in IT-Black to create bold full lashes (because we chose not to use any eyeliner).

– For her bottom lashes, we used DiorShow New Look mascara in Black. The thin brush really comes in handy for the bottom lashes.

LIPS:

– Her lips were painted in with Dior Contour Lip Liner in Jungle Brown and topped off with Rouge Dior Lipstick in Trench!

BODY:

– Her beautiful skin tone was accentuated with Votre Vu’s Silk Stockings Lotion. It moisturized and made her glow!

I love watching the red carpet arrivals for the award shows. The glitz and glam that goes into producing that final look before stepping out of the limo is something I am all too familar with working as a beauty agent. All the preparation is worth it for the moment the celebrity steps out of the limo and onto the red carpet to ooohhs and ahhhhs at their arrival. Fingers crossed, they make the best dressed and look of the week lists, and even better go home a winner of an award! I live for these moments and hope to attend one year.

I have put together a list of my favorite looks this year and am excited for the winners to be revealed.

If you aren’t a sun worshiper or are worried about skin cancer and prematurely aging your skin, self tanner is the answer to your bronze goddess desires.

I used to lay out in the sun every summer until my skin transformed into a beautiful bronze shade. My tan lines were like little reminders of sun worshiping success. I wore sunscreen, most of the time, and even lathered on the baby oil.

I have since changed my ways and spray tan or use self tanners. I have three that I like the most.

Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs is the best for getting that flawless, shimmery leg look. When I worked in Vegas we actually required the pool girls to wear it as part of their uniform because the formulation was so skin perfecting. It comes in an Aerosol bottle that evenly sprays onto skin. Just rub it in after you spray it into your skin to achieve an even application. It is water resistant and easily washes off with soap and wash cloth.

I also love St Tropez bronzing mousse. It comes in a pump and is easy to apply. I put on latex gloves and pump the product into my hands. I rub into my skin until evenly spread over my body. You will want to rub this in quickly and evenly to avoid streaking. This product develops over night into the perfect, non orange glow. The tan lasts for several days and can be easily scrubbed off when necessary.

The budget brand I like best is Jergens Natural Glow Revitalizing Moisturizer. This lotions gradually builds over several days and after about four days, you will have a natural tan glow. This product is great because it is super easy to use and contains no bronzer so your hands won’t be stained.

All of these products will help you achieve that perfect summer tan without all the risks. Have a safe sunless rest of the summer or get a head start on the fall and winter season by trying out my favorites.